Mullaperiyar: Chandy bats for Kerala’s safety

Oommen Chandy

With the Kerala Assembly all set to discuss the > Mullaperiyar dam issue on Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Sunday that his concern was about the safety of people.

Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport while on a personal visit, Mr. Chandy said Kerala was not against sharing water with Tamil Nadu.

“We are concerned about the safety of our people. I have always said that we are not against giving water to Tamil Nadu. We are for it. We are only requesting water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala people,” he said.

Apex court verdict Recently, the Supreme Court rejected Kerala’s contentions on the dam’s safety and allowed Tamil Nadu to increase the water storage level from 136 to 142 feet. The Kerala Assembly will discuss on Monday the fallout of the verdict. Asked about reports of Kerala blocking a water source feeding the Siruvani river, which feeds Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said Kerala wanted to settle all such issues through talks.